True Hearts: Destiny or Choice?
by Wonderland Princess of Hearts
Summary: In this story, True Hearts Day is coming up and everyone is tense as a new custom is resurrected. Rating may change over time. Summary kinda sucks, but story is way better! Trust me!
1. True Hearts?

**AN: Hello, everyone! This is... Well, you will see what happens. So, are you ready to rumble? There are really no warnings for this. Enjoy!**

It was True Hearts Day, a day filled with uncertainty and love. The tradition of giving your True Heart on this loving day was being fulfilled for the first time in 100 years, give or take a few. Who was responsible for this addition to the event. C.A. Cupid, of course! C.A. Cupid was a transfer student from Monster High, a distant academy set in the far reaches of Romania. C.A. was the daughter of Eros, the love god of Greece. Her Greek accent and lovable nature was adored by all around her.

So, it was a pleasant surprise when she started posting strange posters around the school. Every student (and a few curious teachers) gathered to see what the posters said. The glittery scrolls of paper said that giving your True Heart to your soulmate was happening once again! Plus, there was to be a dance after the Transfer of True Hearts! Everyone cheered with excitement as they rushed to make preparations.

Apple White was one of the most excited. "Oh, do you think Daring will give me his True Heart?" She asked Briar Beauty, who was her best friend. "I don't know, Apple. No one knows what the True Hearts actually do to ensure that your soulmate will receive them. Only C.A. knows." Briar replied, smiling as she did so. Apple frowned in a pretty manner, as she was trained to do. Just then, one Lizzie Hearts walked by, head in the clouds as usual. Lizzie was so excited! {_Maybe, I finally have a chance for true love.} _Lizzie smiled with bliss. Then, Lizzie accidentally bumped into Apple and Briar.

Lizzie was bounced back and landed on her rump rather painfully. "Ow!" Lizzie cried. "Watch where you're going!" Apple shrieked loudly. "My gosh, won't you ever stop being a clumsy oaf, Lizzie?" Apple sneered at the fallen Red Queen. The Royal laughed meanly and carried on. Briar was shocked to see Apple acting that way. "Lizzie, are you alright?" Briar asked kindly. Lizzie lifted her head to reveal eyes with unshed tears. "Do you think I'm a clumsy oaf?" Lizzie asked, her voice resonating with pain that had been bottled up for years. "No, not at all. Lizzie, you are a wonder. Really, you are! Apple just can't see your potential." Briar told the Red Queen, aware that Lizzie was highly vulnerable at this stage and any stray words would damage their fledgling friendship._  
_

Lizzie smiled. "Thank you, Briar. See you around?" "Alright. Bye, Lizzie!" Briar answered and waved. Lizzie thought that she had gained both an ally and an enemy today. The thought both frightened and delighted her. The Wonderland Queen smiled with a hint of mania controlling her facial expression. "Oh, the world is going to burn! Yes, the world is going to burn! And when it does, yes I'll be there! Then, it'll be my turn... to rule!" Lizzie sang loudly, laughing manically.

Blondie Locks was talking eagerly to C.A. Cupid, trying to ferret out details about True Hearts. C.A. didn't like to be pestered by anyone, much less a person she was (slightly) attracted to. Finally, C.A. was pushed to the brink by Blondie's annoying questions. "Blondie, you will learn when everyone learns. That's final!" C.A. told her, annoyance clear in her tone. "Ok!" Blondie sounded cheerful, but she was secretly affronted and annoyed as well. {_I will get the truth out of you, C.A. Cupid. I swear it on my honor._} Blondie thought angrily.

Duchess Swan was so happy! {_Finally, I can have a Happily Ever After!_} Duchess thought with glee. She was one of the Neutrals, the people who fell through the cracks and weren't involved in the war between Destiny and Choice. Right now, Choice was something Duchess was highly interested in. Duchess's story was a sad one, with her not having a happy ending. Now, the Rebels offered a way for her to gain a new story and a wonderful Happy Ending. The True Hearts would ensure her new bright future. {_If only I knew how they worked..._} Duchess thought, frowning deeply. "Hey, what's up?" Sparrow Hood, her best friend walked over, exiting the woods that bordered the school.

"Hi, Sparrow." Duchess replied, smiling brightly at him. "You wanna be my lead singer for the upcoming True Hearts dance?" Sparrow asked, looking quite nervous. "I would love to!" Duchess squealed. She hugged Sparrow tightly and ran into the school. Sparrow shook his head slowly. Girls were so hard to understand.

**AN: Ok, I'm ending here for a few reasons. Number One, it's the almighty cliffhanger! Number Two, I want you guys to keep reading. But first, let's set a few guidelines. One, I have many projects on the back burner and this was one of them. Hiatus for me is very easy to achieve. So, I want you guys to review and tell me your opinions of how I handled the plot line. Thank you all.**


	2. The Next Day

**AN: Hey, everyone! This is the second chapter of my Ever After High fic. I hope you enjoy it! Some characters have bigger roles than usual. Please read my AN at the bottom after you read this chapter! Thanks! Also, hit those favorite and follow buttons if you like my story and me! Thanks a bunch again! I recommend my reviewers who write Ever After High fanfics. They are great writers, if not writing pairings I support. Kudos to you! Peace!**

**READ AND REVIEW!**

The next day, everyone woke up with plans for True Hearts Day romping through their minds. The first person to wake up was C.A. Cupid. She wanted to make sure that everything was in place for the upcoming celebration. After getting ready for the long day ahead, C.A. hurried out of her dorm and headed to the auditorium where she hid the True Hearts. "Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Oh, dear! I'm late!" C.A. told herself as she rushed down the halls of Ever After High.

"This is bad. This is really bad." C.A. continued. "I NEVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT!" She shouted quietly. Might I add that shouting quietly is a pretty hard thing to do? Let's all take a moment to silently applaud C.A. as she did so.

Only one person heard C.A. frantic words. It was Briar Beauty, the secret ally of Lizzie Hearts. (If you do not know that, read the first chapter!) Briar's magic touch was that she could hear anything when she was asleep. Briar heard C.A.'s words, snoring from Raven Queen and the thumping of magical hearts. {_Wait a tic on the sundial. Magical hearts?_} Briar thought with some confusion.

Listening more carefully, she heard whispers from those hearts. "We sing of soulmates, kind and true. We song of soulmates pure. Come, children. Come and learn of the magic of love." The whispers grew steadily louder till they hurt Briar's head. Briar woke up then, shaking her brown locks to get the sound out of her head. "Damn, I woke up! At least, I know the secret of the True Hearts now. Don't worry, Cupid. Your secret is safe with me." Briar whispered to the darkness of the room, aware of the moon snickering into his hand and trying to look serious. _  
_

After the sun rose, Apple White woke up to find Raven missing. This wasn't an extreme loss on Apple's part. Apple was convinced that Raven was evil for choosing Choice over Destiny. The fact that she even choose anything was despicable! How dare Raven deny her destiny! Her mother must be turning in her grave right now.

Apple felt that Raven was just being plain selfish and didn't think about anyone when she made her choice. Even the thought of Raven left a bad taste in Apple's mouth. The fair girl got up and got ready for the day. {_Someone needs to knock some sense in Raven._} Apple thought angrily. Then, the Fairest of Them All grinned evilly. {_I know just the right person to do it, too!_} Smiling, Apple let out her signature laugh which sounds like a angel choir usually. Now, it sounded like a demon war cry. Everything was changing, even the Royals. _  
_

Blondie Locks awoke to find C.A. gone and the curtains wide open. "Ow! This is not just right at _all_!" Blondie moaned. She had a monster headache and she felt rather feverish indeed. "Where's a love angel when you need her?" Blondie said, quite upset. Then, she threw up all over the bed sheets. "Ugh." That was the only word she could say at that moment. It seemed the gossip queen was out for the count at that point in time. That was too bad as some sweet gossip was about to come her way. Well, the strangest things can happen. Maybe, Blondie would feel better soon. Maybe.

Daring Charming had a perfect life. He had a geeky brother, a cute sister, an adoring girlfriend who gave him absolute freedom in the dating scene and numerous friends. Plus, he had good grades and was a shoe-in for inheriting a vast kingdom. He did not have a pet, but he would get one soon. So, what was the problem? The problem was that his perfect life wasn't perfect after all.

Dexter and Darling Charming were likely to become Rebels, instead of Royals. Apple White was becoming a cruel and jealous girlfriend. His friends and grades were bought and he was going to be king only because of his looks. Daring was tired of being someone he wasn't. He wanted to turn over a new leaf and consider his options. As a Royal, options were limited. Why were Royals so set in their beliefs? Weren't they going to school to broaden their horizons? Daring hated to admit it, but the Rebels had the right idea. Destiny was a good idea in principle, but not in practice. The students of Ever After High needed to open their minds and examine their lives.

Daring wasn't attracted to Apple anymore. At first, Apple was a sweet and beautiful girl who liked him for him and told him that they were perfect for each other. Daring was a dope back then and he had believed her wholeheartedly. Now, he wasn't so sure. After Raven proved that you wouldn't go poof if you didn't confirm your destiny, Daring had started having doubts. Big gapes in the Royal philosophy was clear to him. Apple still preached the philosophy, but Daring knew one thing. She was wrong about Destiny.

Daring found himself going disconnected to Apple and their relationship was strained. He found himself drawn to Lizzie Hearts, a Royal with a Rebel heart. Lizzie was from Wonderland and she was the villain of her story. Lizzie was delightful company as she never quite made much sense. Whenever they finished chatting about several things, Lizzie would kiss Daring on the nose, lift his hand into the air and shout "MINE!" to the people around them. Usually, Daring blushed and Apple looked bored, as though she didn't care. Nowadays, Daring just smiled and Apple looked furious, as though she wanted to strangle Lizzie. The future Red Queen also kissed him on the cheek instead of the nose.

That fateful day, Daring walked into the café and spotted Lizzie at their regular table for two. He made a beeline for her, eager to talk about his musings about Destiny and Choice when his path was intercepted by Apple. Apple looked a tad bit insane, her eyes wide as she peered at Daring. Her slender fingers wrapped around her arm and squeezed painfully. Daring hissed and twisted his arm away. Red finger marks were visible on his arm. "Daring! I _implore _you to sit with me today! We have ever so much to talk about!" Apple gushed, looking at him with utter adoration. "Not today, Apple. I promised Lizzie I would sit with her for the rest of the month." Daring told Apple with an air of finality. "Is that so?" Apple asked, frowning slightly. "Yes." Daring replied, eyeing her warily.

"Well, then! I hereby eject you from the Royals! Lizzie, too! Anyone want to object to this judgement?" Apple yelled, projecting her voice so all could hear. "I object to this!" Dexter shouted. "So do I!" Darling shrieked loudly. "Us too!" Holly and Poppy O'Hair told Apple. Apple turned crimson. "Well, you all are ejected as well! Good riddance!" Everyone gasped at those words. "No!" Holly shouted, bursting into tears. Apple ignored her. "Alright, Apple! I can finally do this!" Daring then spat in Apple's face. "We are done!" Daring shouted and stomped toward Lizzie. His friend should be able to sort this out.

Duchess Swan observed the commotion. It was an explosive turn of events. Who knew that Daring was so rebellious? Not only that, but who knew that Apple was so petty? So many questions needed to be answered and Duchess was convinced that her roommate was at the center of it all: Lizzie Hearts, future Queen of Wonderland. Duchess had other things to think about too. C.A. Cupid was the one who started this all. Would she have the answers? What were the True Hearts? What did they do? If Duchess could sort things out, then she might have a chance. Until then, Duchess would bide her time. Lizzie would need some allies and Duchess was well equipped for the job.

Maddie Hatter watched the events unfold. She delighted in the chaos and smiled at Apple's foolish decisions. "Why did Apple do that? Does she have a death wish?" Raven asked, her mouth wide open in shock. Maddie smiled again. "Apple is just showing her true self." Maddie replied. "Huh?" Cedar Wood said. "Um, Maddie? You spoke in Riddlish again." Cerise Hood told the future Mad Hatter. "Oh, I did? Sorry! What I meant to say was that Apple is showing her true self." Maddie whispered, looking around to see if anyone was watching her. Apple had sat down and was talking to Briar, who looked nervous.

"Her true self?" Raven asked, confused. Maddie nodded. "I consssulted the Book of Time and it yelled that Apple is going to ssssstart a war with Lizzie and the ressssult issssn't pretty." Maddie hissed, acting like a snake for a second. "Oh!" Cedar replied. "So, you are saying that Lizzie needs allies, right?" Cerise growled quietly, trying to hide her heritage. "Correct! We need to stand by her and offer her support. Who's with me?" Maddie shouted the last sentence.

Everyone looked at her. "Sorry! It's a Wonderland thing!" She told the audience. "Well?" Maddie continued after everyone continued their conversations. "I offer my support." Raven replied, smiling wickedly. "Us too!" Cedar and Cerise chorused in unison. "It's our job to find more allies for Lizzie. Be careful, though. Some potential allies may be enemies in disguise. Watch out for the wolves in sheep wool, ok?" The other three girls agreed. Everything was about to change.

**AN: Hey, everybody! I'm stopping here. Do you like the chapter? I worked plenty hard on it. Writing conversations was hard. Descriptions weren't as hard as usual. I hope that you sincerely liked it! Some changes were made. Characters are OOC. Daring is an avid supporter of Destiny in canon works and Lizzie shows no sign of liking Daring. Apple isn't evil in canon and Duchess is kinda mean-spirited. So is Kitty. C.A. and Blondie don't have big roles in canon. Neither does Maddie, Lizzie, Duchess, Holly, Poppy and more. I'm just giving bigger roles to characters that deserve it!**

**READ AND REVIEW!**


	3. It's Gonna Be A Long Year

AN: Well, this chapter is the long awaited update to my story about the characters from Ever After High. I'm getting a lot of positive reviews, so I'm continuing with the story in the hopes of getting more support. My friends asked for the pairings, so I'll tell them.

**Pairings: **There is Daring/Lizzie, Dexter/Raven, Hopper/Briar and Sparrow/Duchess, plus more! I'm not revealing my whole deck of cards just yet...

**Warnings: **In the future, there will be homosexual relationships. This fic is Lizzie-centric. Also, there is bashing of certain characters and others get bigger roles. Plus, THIS ISN'T FREAKING CANON! I refuse to bow to the evils of canon. There are OOC characters and this is an AU fanfic. Plus, OCs from various authors will star in the story. Those authors are the following: japaneserockergirl, Madame Zashley, MysticalMosiac, Queen Elsa Neve and TooMuchSarcasm. Read on, faithful readers! Forgot to mention that my own OC characters will appear as well!

**REVIEW, GUYS! I IMPLORE YOU TO REVIEW! IF NOT, I WILL FAIL TO UPDATE BECAUSE OF LACK OF REVIEWS! THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT! I DO THIS FOR YOU GUYS!**

**_True Hearts_**

Lizzie Hearts was convinced that the world was out to get her. First off, she had discovered a threatening email in her inbox from an unknown student of Ever After High. Lizzie would have bet the entire kingdom of Wonderland that Apple or a member of her entourage had sent it. Unfortunately, Lizzie didn't have the skills needed to hack the email account and find out the sender. Depressed by the email, Lizzie's morale took a serious hit.

Next, she walked to breakfast only to find that there were several posters hanging in the café. They all read "Wonderland sucks!" Now, Lizzie had a fragile ego and the posters shattered her confidence completely. She ran away, bursting into tears. Her entourage hurried after her, hoping to catch Lizzie before it was too late.

Insulted by the posters, Lizzie took out her rage on various places in the castle. Soon, some walls collapsed, a few people got hurt and Lizzie was locked in the dungeon, awaiting her punishment. Not only that, but Lizzie hadn't eaten, so she had to sit in a cramped dank cell with no food to eat.

Crying some more, Lizzie Hearts wished for the world to give her another chance. Luckily, a girl by the name of Darling Charming was walking outside the cell where the Princess of Hearts resided. Hearing her wish, Darling decided to grant it, using her powers to send Lizzie back in time. A new future was being written.

_**True Hearts**_

Lizzie Hearts wasn't sure if the world was out to get her. She had woken up with a horrible headache, a sore throat and a swollen leg. To add insult to injury, Duchess had left Lizzie to her own devices, leaving the princess alone and in pain. Lizzie hated suffering, but she hated weakness more. So, she dragged herself out of bed, took the needed medication and walked to breakfast.

At the café, Apple was being obnoxious as usual. Mean posters had insults scribbled across them like "Wonderland sucks!" or "Madness is for losers! Lock up the crazies!". Lizzie was all ready to rip Apple to shreds with her bluntest cards (for extra pain), but the princess of Hearts wasn't _that _cruel. Taking a deep breath and counting backwards from ten, Lizzie was sufficiently calmed to do the mature thing about the posters.

Keeping her head high, she walked gracefully to a table where all her future subjects were crowded about, conflicting emotions flitting across their faces. Sitting next to Maddie, Lizzie grinned widely before asking a simple question. "What's for lunch?" Alistair scrunched up his face in confusion, Ivory Rabbit (his secret sister) following suit. Caleb simply smoked his bubble pipe while Brunhilda "Brenda" Snatch glared at the queen before huffing in response.

No one else proved to make any reaction, Blanche Cream Vanilla especially. She was the daughter of the White Queen and considered Lizzie to be a bitter rival. Lizzie held the same views, always watching her back in fear of sabotage. Blanche had calmed down somewhat, though.

"Well, we have pancakes, turkey bacon and scrambled eggs. Oh, you should try the bacon. Delish! I also recommend the oatmeal and porridge served on the side." Maddie replied, sipping her jasmine tea.

"I'll have the scrambled eggs and turkey bacon, please. Oh, and some Earl Grey tea as well." Lizzie beamed at her sister, happy for once. The truth was that the Mad Hatter was Lizzie's real father, not the Red King. It was almost the same for Maddie (her real name was Madeline). It turned out that her mystery mother really was the Red Queen, not Alice as she had feared. Maddie was worried that Alistair and her could possibly be related, which would make their budding relationship incest.

Unfortunately for the twins, there were some complications. First, it was taboo to have children with a person who wasn't supposed to be your spouse. Second, Maddie and Lizzie (Lizzie's real name was Elizabeth) had some problems. Because of their mixed heritage, Maddie experienced berserker-like behavior, like uncontrollable rages and rapid blackouts.

Lizzie had a slightly different problem. She was, well... _Mad! _The problem in that was that the queen of Wonderland _couldn't _be mad! It was against the law! So, Lizzie was doomed unless she could control her madness.

At least, only their allies knew their secret... Right?

_**True Hearts**_

"Hexcellent! The vessel has fallen for our plans! They will all do nicely..." A voice muttered, looking out of a crumbling tower. The stormy skies lit up with lightning before an ominous roll of thunder resounded. "Wonderland _will _be mine." A cackle flew through the air as heavenly fire struck the ground. "IT WILL BE MINE!" She shouted, throwing her arms wide to welcome the next strike. Lightning struck the woman right in the heart, making her glow briefly before she vanished with a blinding flash.

_**True Hearts**_

Lizzie's next class was General Villainy, a class taught by the esteemed Professor B.B. Wolf, otherwise known as the Big Bad Wolf. Professor Wolf was very knowledgeable and loved to encourage the pursuit of knowledge, but certain obstacles stood in his way. Sometimes, information wasn't allowed to be known by mere second-years. Other times, Headmaster Grimm didn't want information to reach villainous ears. Finally, some information was just too dangerous to learn. Still, Lizzie held Professor Wolf in a high regard.

Because it was the start of the second semester, Professor Wolf decided to reassign partners in his class. He always did that ever semester. Last year, Lizzie had been partners with Coral Tempest, daughter of Ursula, the infamous sea witch from the Little Mermaid. Coral was a quiet girl with wavy black hair streaked with white and cobalt blue eyes. She kept to herself, choosing to be antisocial and not make a lot of friends. Lizzie felt comfortable with Coral around and knew she had made a lasting ally in the sea witch.

In the next semester, Lizzie had been paired with Cookie Crone, the daughter of Candy Crone, the witch from Hansel and Gretel. While Cookie looked sweet, she was really a twisted, manipulative person. Cookie was often the subject of Lizzie's ire and Lizzie wished she could smother the smug witch at times. However, school policy was school policy after all.

After that, Lizzie had been paired with Vera Facilier, the daughter of Dr. Facilier, the voodoo doctor from the Princess and the Frog. Vera was a strange girl, claiming she was a voodoo princess. Vera was always creepy, controlling shadowy spirits and knowing dark secrets about magic. Lizzie wasn't eager about getting to know the girl, but she could help in Lizzie's pursuit of knowledge.

Afterwards, Lizzie was stuck with Jackie Hook, daughter of Captain Hook from the story called Peter Pan after the main character with the same name. Jackie was a happy and brilliantly smart girl, using her noggin to fervently learn things and devise genius plans. For the most part, her plans usually worked! Other times, not so much... Still, Jackie was a valuable asset in Lizzie's mind.

At the start of her second year, Lizzie was stuck with Faybelle Thorn, the evil daughter of Maleficent. Faybelle took her job as the future curser of Briar Beauty a bit too seriously. Always scribbling threats in her ominous black notebook, Faybelle delighted in fun pastimes like bullying, maiming small animals and using her dark magic against her enemies. The rumors were true: Faybelle Thorn was rotten to the core.

This time, Lizzie couldn't be sure who her partner was going to be. Professor Wolf always had some surprise up his sleeve and there was always something unexpected waiting for the villains in her class. Walking into the class bravely, Lizzie waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the classroom. After she could see properly, Lizzie twirled into the class, sitting next to Coral. They were the only two students present.

"Hi, Elizabeth." Coral greeted, looking up from her homework to acknowledge the future queen of Wonderland. "Coral! How was your break?" Lizzie asked as she pulled out her own homework sheet. "More pleasant that usual. I swam in the Great Barrier Reef for a bit. Warm water, lots of sun and plenty of fish that don't know my name. It was paradise." Coral replied, a dreamy look on her face. "And you?"

"It was marvelous! I hung out with Maddie for some time, bugged Blanche and Brenda and I managed to convince Alistair to drink a memory-protection potion. Now, he won't forget Wonderland! Score!" Lizzie beamed, happy for once. Most of the time, the world angered her to the point where the princess of Hearts wore a constant scowl. Now, things had changed for the better in terms of her attitude.

"Will you check my essay for any mistakes? I'll check yours!" Coral offered, reaching for Lizzie's essay. "Alright." Lizzie conceded, swapping Coral's essay with hers. The topic of their essays were "Who was the best villain in your opinion? Explain why and cite various reasons to support your argument.". Coral's was about Maleficent, which was a surprise. One would expect her to write about her mother after all. Lizzie's was about her mother, Anastasia Hearts, the Crown Queen of Wonderland.

"Did I make any mistakes?" Coral questioned, an anxious look adorning her face. "Your report is flawless, but I can't agree with your reasoning for obvious reasons." Lizzie smirked, proud of herself and her friend. "What about me?" She asked anyway, already knowing the answer. "Yours is the pinnacle of perfection, duh! Seriously, though. I didn't even remember this stuff about your mother!" Coral ranted, false anger in her eyes. "And, I'm a diehard bookworm!" "Well, you can't know everything." Lizzie replied, still smirking.

"I _can't wait _for the day when you _finally_ mess up." Coral snarked, scowling at her friend. "Not gonna happen!" Lizzie singed aloud just as Cookie and Marianne Gothel walked into the room.

Mariane was the type of girl that would deliberately embarrass you in public just to see you squirm. She delighted in making things uncomfortable as hell and loved to mess with people's heads. However, Mariane was prone to rushing into things without thinking them through and got into plenty of mishaps because of this tendency. Plus, she hated the feel of hair... So, she sheared off her beautiful black curls.

"Elizabeth, I should have known you'd be friends with a nerd." Mariane's cutting voice interrupted. "What's a nerd? Tell me or OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" Lizzie shouted, her irritable nature returning in full force. Scowling at the villainous teens, she crossed her arms and waited for a reply. Her cards swirled ominously around her.

Cookie gulped, having been on the receiving end of those cards a few times. "A nerd is a freakish bookworm that would rather read than have friends." Cookie sneered, watching Coral's expression. Coral looked heartbroken, but Lizzie looked furious. "You're such a jerk, Cookie! You and your friends too! I HATE YOU ALL!" Lizzie shrieked, pissed off at the villainous duo. They exchanged worried glances and hurried to their seats.

Soon, the classroom filled up as students wandered in from parts unknown. Everyone was socializing in the way only villains can: by pretending to hate each other and trading secret compliments as insults.

Only a few students didn't engage in that foolery. Blanche C. Vanilla simply took a seat, her eyes scanning the room for potential exits. Being forced to take a stupid class was no laughing matter and she longed to escape before the teacher in charge got here. Jackie Hook preferred to chat normally with Vera Facilier. So, Vera and her were talking up a storm, trading tales of dangerous adventures and strange happenings. Vera's hellhound (Darcy) seemed less vicious than usual, leaning into her mistress' hand. Jackie's parrot (Cracker) was the exact opposite. He seemed more annoyed by the class, soaring through the air and avoiding blasts of magic from Faybelle, who was a jerk as usual.

Finally, Professor Wolf showed himself to the class, climbing out from under the desk. No one had noticed his presence, not even Vera who could sense shadows! "Well, you are all disappointments! Couldn't even sense a grown wolf. Pitiful! Absolutely pitiful!" Professor Wolf scolded them, smelling their embarrassment and using the moment to teach a valuable lesson.

Lizzie noticed that Vera blushed crimson because of the 'lesson'. Lizzie could only hope that she didn't lose her temper this time. Luckily, Vera seemed pacified and didn't react to Professor Wolf's words. "Well, let's begin the class, shall we? But first, I need to partner you up. Let's see here..." Professor Wolf stared at his infamous list, peering at the names.

"Miss Tempest, you're with Miss Thorn." Professor Wolf said, looking at Coral and Faybelle with a strange mix of delight and nervousness. Lizzie breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad that Faybelle wasn't going to be her partner. Before Faybelle walked over, she shot a critical look at Coral before jotting down some notes in her notebook. Closing it with a snap, Faybelle strode over to Lizzie. "Get up." She snapped angrily, looking pissed. "You're in my seat." Before Lizzie could react, she was flying out of the seat, doing a face plant on the floor.

Lizzie stood up gingerly and checked herself over as gasps and snickers echoed around her. After she made sure that no serious injuries had been inflicted, Lizzie casually observed Faybelle, who looked smug as she settled herself into Lizzie's seat. Lizzie narrowed her eyes with fury, scowled as she turned crimson and then slugged Faybelle Thorn in the jaw. Howling with rage, Lizzie began to pound Faybelle into the ground as Professor Wolf struggled to pull Lizzie off Faybelle.

"MISS HEARTS! Do this again and I'll send you to the Headmaster!" Professor Wolf growled after situating Lizzie in another part of the room. "Is that clear?" "Yes, Professor." She dead panned, scowling at the wolf.

"Miss Queen, you're with Miss Hearts. Miss Hearts, no funny business out of you." Professor Wolf snarled, furious at Lizzie. Raven sighed, upset at having to be partners with the friend-stealing, emotional princess beside her. Raven didn't particularly like Lizzie despite Maddie's warning about people who oppose her. Raven had promised that she would find allies for Lizzie, but it seemed like Maddie had already did enough on her own. Raven didn't seem to realize that Maddie was waiting for Raven to wise up and take charge... If she didn't, there would be severe consequences.

"I object to this placement, sir." Raven cried, her eyes shining with fake tears. "Why? Are you saying I'm not _smart enough_ to simply pair two villains together?" Professor Wolf asked, smirking at his pupil. "N-no! I'm just saying that Lizzie and I don't get along and us working together would be counter-productive." Raven replied, face flushed from his accusations.

"Miss Queen, I've been working for years at this school. I know the ropes and I've haven't made a mistake in pairings students once. If you feel so strongly against Miss Hearts, talk it out _later_. I have no desire to listen to your crap right now. I have a lesson to finish. So, objection overruled. Now, SIT DOWN DAMNIT!" He roared, even more pissed than before.

Raven flinched, then moved over next to Lizzie. Lizzie glared at Raven for a minute, then turned and began to ignore her. "Counter-productive? I'll show you counter-productive." Lizzie muttered under her breath before turning her attention to the teacher once more. Raven gulped nervously. It was going to be a very long year...

_**True Hearts**_

Meanwhile, Maddie Hatter was all ready to rip her hair out. Her teacher was Professor Potts, the mother of Penelope Potts. Mrs. Potts was what she was usually called. Professor Potts was from a tale as old as time, Beauty and the Beast. Maddie didn't particularly like the story, saying it wasn't as old as time and that the characters were boring and flat. As a result, the Beauty and the Beast characters didn't like Maddie that much. Maddie didn't like them either, but they _were_ an important part of the Storybook of Legends, so Maddie was willing to give them a free pass.

Maddie was prepared for a dull year until Raven flipped the script and chose to write her own destiny after several hints from Maddie. The mad hatter hated this class, though. After all that excitement, it seemed like the school was back to it's boring self... For now, at least.

Maddie found herself fantasizing about Alistair as she waited for the class to start. As usual, Professor Potts was biased towards her daughter, socializing with her before the beginning of class. It was so annoying! Maddie decided not to care about that any longer as she began to think about Alistair once more.

Alistair Wonderland was the son of Alice (and the White rabbit), but he wasn't prepared to be the hero everyone wanted him to be. He liked Wonderland the way it was and he wasn't pleased to have to throw Lizzie in jail. It was Maddie's job to assist him, but she wasn't given the tools to help him or the knowledge. Maddie had a crush on him, but doubted he would ever feel the same towards her.

Here's the problem: Alistair had a crush on Blondie Lockes and the Royal knew it! She was like Apple in the sense that she encouraged crushes on her, but liked another person. It was so infuriating as Blondie just welcomed the attention while Maddie fumed in the background.

"Miss Hatter, PAY ATTENTION!" Professor Potts told Maddie sternly. This jolted the girl out of her self-induced pity party. "Yes, Ma'am!" Maddie replied, saluting the annoying teacher with her saucer.

"Hey, Maddie! We're partners! Isn't that the greatest thing since designing clothes?" Marionette Carver beamed, drawing a gorgeous dress in her designing notebook. Maddie sighed deeply. It was going to be a long year...

**_True Hearts_**

Alistair was certain that girls were the most strangest thing since Destiny. He didn't have time for classes like Advanced Wooing when a Jabberwocky was begging to be killed. At the very least, the class allowed him to get closer to his crush: Blondie Lockes. In his mind, Blondie was the pinnacle of perfection. Her looks were just right, in his opinion. However, it wasn't worth it if it meant having to woo the most critical princess in existence: Poppy O'Hair. (Wasn't that a surprise?) Poppy had an eye for detail, so she always noticed his flaws. Plus, Alistair didn't have much charm anyway.

Besides that, it was hard to charm a girl when Darling Charming was shooting you death glares and your crush was flirting with Daring Charming, the most charming boy in school (pun intended). How was Alistair supposed to compete with that?

Oh, how he wished Maddie was his assigned princess! She would never judge him in an unfair way like most girls. She didn't seem to care about those things. Then again, Maddie didn't seem to care about anything at all! She was the most carefree girl he had ever met.

Alistair most have had a fond look on his face because Poppy raised her hand and shrieked, "Professor Charming! Alistair is thinking about another girl!" She looked smug as Professor Charming stomped over. "Mister Wonderland! Pay attention to your princess!" He instructed, critically looking Alistair over. "You look filthy. Clean up right now!" Professor Charming shouted, face flushed with rage.

Alistair nodded numbly, aware that Blondie was snickering into her hand and whispering to Duchess Swan about him. He was so stupid to think Blondie could ever like an incompetent hero like him.

Alistair sighed deeply as he washed up and removed all the gunk and stains from his clothes. "I can't do anything right at times..." Alistair mumbled, face downcast. With girls like these, who needed princesses?

"Mister Wonderland, I've decided to pair you up with Emerald Chateau instead. She's getting way too close with Bastion Kingsley." Professor Charming told Alistair, ruffling his hair in the process. Alistair sighed once more. Emerald was a manipulative, flirty princess who liked to twist everyone around her finger. This was going to be a long year...

_**True Hearts**_

At the same time, Catherine (Kitty) Cheshire was exasperated with her first class, Tricks and Pranks for Tricksters and Pranksters. Kitty wasn't good at class, but it was worsened by the fact that she was in the presence of her boyfriend, Anansi Jr. Anansi was the best boyfriend forever after, but he was an unneeded distraction in class. As a trickster, Kitty was always being told to make mischief when it wasn't needed and to offer cryptic advice to all who asked for it. But, Kitty didn't like to do that sort of thing, preferring to do things her own way. She didn't want to cause unneeded chaos!

"Miss Cheshire, you're partnered with... Mister Turtle." Professor Caterpillar instructed. Kitty instantly frowned at the news. She was being partnered with Faux Turtle, the most depressed guy on campus? What a fairy-fail! Faux was the most depressing guy at school and his presence would only serve to weigh her down. Why was Faux labeled as a trickster anyway? It was confounding, but Kitty realized that Faux was here because he didn't really fit in anywhere else. Most boys were princes, but some couldn't be classified that way. Unfortunately, Faux was one of those guys.

"Anansi, you're with Mister Caterpillar." Professor Caterpillar droned as he continued to pair people up. Kitty rolled her eyes. Caleb Caterpillar was partners with her boyfriend? The bubble-blowing cryptic Wonderlander was going down.

After Professor Caterpillar finished pairing people up, he smirked at his pupils. "Well, I would like to assign you a project. You must get to know your partner and be partners-in-crime during Prank Month. This leaves some time for the friendship part of the project. The pair who performs the best will receive a mysterious prize... Now, get to it! I expect great things from you all..." Professor Caterpillar began smoking his pipe after he finished his strange message.

Kitty's eyes widened with horror. She had to make friends with a deceptive turtle that was a downer and really only spoke in Riddilish? This was going to be a long year...

_**True Hearts**_

During all of this, the class especially for fairies started off with a bang! Professor Fae smiled kindly at the class before she started to fawn over her daughter, Azure Fae. Azure was the daughter of the Blue Fairy. While Professor Fae wasn't the best teacher, she was knowledgable and possessed a lot of information on magic.

"Well, class! Welcome back to another semester. Let's see the pairings, shall we?" Professor Fae asked, beaming at her pupils. She was happy because of another spelltacular day of teaching.

Myrtellie Sprigs was the daughter of the Myrtle Fairy and she believed that her teacher could be a better teacher if she only tried more. In fact, Ellie (her nickname) was bored with this class. It was so tedious! The class was named Magicology and Ellie preferred not to have to take it. Unfortunately, she had been forced to take the class by Headmaster Grimm. Ellie sighed, pushing cool air out of her mouth.

Professor Fae smiled once more before starting the pairing up of students. "Miss Fae, you're with Miss Sprigs!" The teacher cheered, her giddiness infecting the other students with maniac joy. Ellie sighed one more time. If there was a naughty fairy, Azure was it. She had the ability to freeze time and used it continually to annoy her enemies and help her allies.

Ellie briefly wondered why she couldn't be paired with Nora Bell. She was the daughter of Tinker Bell and she wasn't judging or as temperamental as other fairies could be. Still, Ellie was certain that Azure was out to get her.

Azure smirked at Ellie before sitting next to her. "Can't wait for us to be friends, _partner_! Can you?" The blue fairy looked extremely smug for a "good" fairy. Ellie rolled her eyes. It was going to be a long year...

**AN: Well, then. Not exactly the ending I was hoping for, but I want to continue this stuff in the next chapter. This was long enough for me... For those who have a problem with the way I portrayed certain characters, I did warn you that some characters are OOC. Also, there is such thing as character development. Raven isn't a bad person, but that will be addressed in the next few chapters. Same with some other characters. So, stay tuned! **

**On another note, I have to tell you who the OCs belong to. Hexcellent! **

**First off, Ivory belongs partially to me and partially to a friend of mine that doesn't have an account on this site or any site for that matter. Other characters that belong to me are Vera Facilier, Jackie Hook and some more. Some haven't been revealed yet, though. So, stay tuned. Oh, Coral and Nora are mine. Silly me! **

**Next, we have the majority of them. Most of them are from Madame Zashley. These are Ellie Sprigs, Mariane Gothel, Cookie Crone, Faux Turtle, Emerald Chateau, Bastion Kingsley, Brenda Snatch and more! Again, stay tuned for the others that didn't show up in this chapter. **

**Next, japaneserockergirl owns Azure Fae, Marionette Carver, Anansi Jr and one more that is a secret for now. **

**Also, MysticalMosiac owns Penelope Potts, Caleb Caterpillar and Blanche Vanilla, if my sources are correct. If not, sorry! **

**Finally, TooMuchSarcasm owns Chantal and some other unrevealed OCs. So, read on! **

**Some other authors have OC characters that haven't showed up, so stay tuned! **

**Thanks for reading, my loyal subjects. As always, watch Ever After High and... **

**READ AND REVIEW!**


	4. More Classes and Early Clashes

AN: OH MY GODMOTHER! Daring/Lizzie is now canon! Yes, my dreams have come true! Thanks to all my wonderlandiful reviewers, you all rock! Also, I dedicate this chapter to all the authors I mentioned before. You guys are the best, so thanks for all the support!

**Read and review! **

Chapter 4: More Classes and Early Clashes 

If there was an award for Most Temperamental Princess, Lizzie Hearts would win hands down. Even her closest friends considered her to be too angry for her own good. Still, it _did_ help in certain classes she took- like General Villainy, for instance. Even though it was her least favorite class, she still excelled because she spent a lot of time researching and finding the answers to questions.

So, what was the problem? The problem was Raven Queen!

Raven was one of those villains that pretended they weren't evil, thus postponing the inevitable. Lizzie was certain that she wasn't a villain, but she didn't deny her Dark side. Raven completely ignored the truth, which left her with mediocre grades and a poor work ethic. Being paired together wasn't going to be fun, especially considering Raven's ill-fated attempt to separate them. Professor Wolf had put Raven in her place, but it didn't improve her chances with Lizzie. Could the girls ever work it out?

"Miss Facilier, you're with Miss Vanilla. Miss Vanilla, I expect decorum from you and no rudeness." Professor Wolf snarled at the end, annoyed with Wonderland villains. Vera sighed loudly before the shadows began to ripple with an overly creepy manner. Blanche paled more than usual before kindly asking Jackie to stand up. Jackie complied, moving to Blanche's former seat. Blanche then sat in Jackie's seat, smiling nervously at Vera before looking away.

Professor Wolf continued the pairings. Lizzie listened to the names called and wondered how the class would go. Cookie was paired with Viviane Curse, the daughter of the Enchantress from Beauty and the Beast. Lizzie smirked with glee. While she usually detested characters from that tale, Viviane was a marked exception. She was tough as nails and possessed magical abilities. So cool!

Some boys were paired with girls. For an example, Mariane Gothel was paired with Matthew Frollo. Mariane was the daughter of Mother Gothel from Rapunzel and Matthew was the son of Claude Frollo, the judge from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Both were villains, but Matthew was the pathetic sort who tried too hard and Mariane was the manipulative sort who tried to get the pathetic ones on track. If those two were partners, this class was doomed.

Finally, Professor Wolf finished his pairings. "Ok, you sorry excuses for villains! Let's get started with a new topic: your Nemesis." He growled, scanning the room for their reactions. Instantly, all the students present began whispering to each other. Learning about your Nemesis was the most important thing to a villain.

"A Nemesis is your sworn enemy from your story. A pit of hunger exists in your stomach that can't be satisfied until you either kill your enemy or make peace with your Nemesis." Professor Wolf instructed, capturing the attention of every pupil there. "Not only that, but you'll soon begin dreaming about your Nemesis, developing strange powers and seeking revenge against your enemy. Any questions?" Professor Wolf asked, yellow eyes seeming to peer into Lizzie's soul.

"Can you have more than one Nemesis?" Cookie looked puzzled, raising her hand. Professor Wolf nodded. "If your story calls for it, then yes. You _can_ have more than one Nemesis." "Can you switch your Nemesis with someone else?" Blanche asked, curiosity shining in her eyes. "No, that's impossible!" Professor Wolf replied, smiling for once.

Raven raised her hand. "Can your Nemesis be another villain?" Raven asked, glaring at Lizzie. Lizzie looked heartbroken for a second before hiding it under a layer of calmness. Still, everyone noticed her upset expression and began to glare at Raven, Professor Wolf included. "Miss Queen, that is a stupid question. Villains do not hurt other villains! If you do, you are a monster, not a villain." Professor Wolf snarled, eyes glowing with rage.

Raven flushed crimson before crossing her arms and beginning to sulk. Lizzie sniffed, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Yeah, sure. Play the victim, you little _fake_." Raven hissed softly, but everyone heard her. Lizzie trembled with rage before twisting around in her seat. "For once, could you _not_ be a little bitch?" Lizzie cried, tears streaming down her face.

Professor Wolf looked at Lizzie before sighing. "Miss Hearts, come here." That was all Lizzie needed, as she rushed into the teacher's arms. "No crying from you, you hear? Don't show weakness." Professor Wolf instructed, but he felt hollow inside. Who told a child to not show her pain when it was needed? What sort of monster was he? Lizzie still cried, ignoring his words and listening to his true meaning.

Finally, Lizzie finished crying. Afterwards, she sat down while she ignored Raven sitting next to her. "Anymore questions?" Professor Wolf asked, scanning the class. "How exactly do you make peace with your Nemesis?" Lizzie asked, pain resonating in her voice. "Well, that's uncertain. Most villains assume you have to save your Nemesis' life to make 'peace' with them. No one has really done it before, though..." Professor Wolf trailed off. "Well, how come _you_ know about it?" Vera inquired, chewing on a lock of hair. Professor Wolf grew nervous. "Er... Class dismissed! Your homework is to write an essay on your Nemesis."

As the students filed out of the classroom, Lizzie burst into a run, sprinting towards her next class. Raven was so upset that she was about to run after her, but Cookie tripped her up. As Raven slammed into the ground, Cookie and her friends cackled as they walked away from the crime scene. Professor Wolf didn't even attempt to help her, choosing to call Baba Yaga instead.

_**True Hearts**_

Maddie was the craziest girl at school, but even she was annoyed by Marionette Carver's constant cheerfulness. Professor Potts was bad enough without Marionette making things worse. The daughter of Gepetto was a woodcarver like her father, but she also liked to take classes like Princess Design. She was good at it, too! However, Marionette was too cheerful for her own good.

"Class, I have an assignment for you. Please write an essay on the hero you must assist or villain. You may start... Now!" Professor Potts cried, her giddy nature infecting everyone around her except for Maddie and Marionette. Marionette was just naturally happy while Maddie was too irate to actually care. Dealing with Marionette was a massive chore that took up plenty of time.

Sighing, Maddie started her essay on Alistair. She wrote about his destiny and how he flipped the script. She wrote about his mother being a heroine, but the difficult task of living up to her legacy. Then, she wrote some more. She wrote about his strengths, the hardships he faced daily and his talents. She wrote about his dreams, his fears, his _essence_. Maddie finally finished with the sentence: I guess Alistair Wonderland is best summed up as a riddle.

Marionette looked curious as she watched Maddie scribble away. She began to think about how she was going to write about Cedar. Deciding to just write the truth (as Cedar would have liked), Marionette wrote about Cedar's talents, her dreams and his history. Marionette wrote about her father and how Cedar hid secrets daily, while struggling to keep her dignity. She wrote about Cedar's curse and life with that curse. The last sentence was this: Cedar Wood is a living soul trapped in a wooden prison, not a puppet to be manipulated by Destiny the puppeteer.

It had taken the whole class time to write the essay, but the girls had finished. Brenda Snatch and Malise Le Fou had finished as well, writing about Lizzie Hearts and the next Gaston (her name was Esme Sparks). It was _totally_ expected that Chantal and Penelope didn't finish the assignment, choosing to squander their time by gossiping. Instead, Professor Potts promptly gave them detention, choosing to be an actual teacher rather than a parent for once.

Maddie smiled for the first time since the class started before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. While most of the people present gave her strange or angry looks, only Marionette could see the true irony in the situation. Together, the duo laughed their little hearts out before finishing off with an amazing rendition of "Dark Horse" for no particular reason whatsoever.

It had seemed impossible, but the year was finally starting to seem a bit more wonderlandiful than planned...

_**True Hearts**_

Kitty was convinced that she had lost all her remaining dignity. She had spent most of her time listening to Faux Turtle drone on about boring subjects like philosophy and science. Did he honestly think she was a fellow nerd like him? That was Coral's department, not hers. Oh, how she wished for the class to end! After what seemed like forever, Faux asked what Kitty liked to do. She sniffed and leveled him with a penetrating glare. "I _like_ to not listen to the dorky ramblings of a socially-challenged _freak_." Kitty hissed before adjusting her clothes.

Faux looked like he had been slapped before his eyes welled with tears. Sighing, she smiled at him in a kindly manner. "I'm sorry... I don't really _know_ why I've been so _mean_ lately... Maybe, Duchess is contagious!" She mused, eyes shining with glee. Faux smiled for once. It was a faint smile, but it was clearly there. "Maybe." He replied, seeming happier than before.

Kitty smirked before leaning in close. "Wanna pull a prank? I'll need your help to pull this off, but it'll be worth it!" Kitty tilted her head before whispering in a coy manner. "Are you in?" Faux considered it for a few seconds before nodding briefly. "Yes."

Kitty beamed before smothering the expression under a smirk. Smirks felt better on her face after all. "Ok, here's the plan..." She began to outline a plan for a prank. She wasn't sure what it exactly entitled yet, but it involved their powers, a suitable distraction and timing.

If this was how the year was going to be, it would be pretty awesome!

**_True Hearts_**

Alistair was having different problems than the girls. Flirting with Emerald was a task made for a true hero, not a fake one. Emerald was a manipulative princess, always twisting around harmless words into dangerous ones. She always managed to ferret out secrets and was an expert at the subtle art of blackmail. If there was a dangerous princess, Emerald Chateau was it.

"So, Alistair. I heard you like to mess around with potions! Wanna tell me more?" Emerald twisted a lock of her hair around her finger before coyly smiling at him. Alistair's face flushed from pure nervousness. Emerald was very intimidating, for lack of a better word. "Er, sure. I have a marked talent for potions, but so does other people like Cookie and Maddie for instance." Alistair managed to say this without stammering once. He considered this to be a great improvement.

Glancing at the other princes, he noticed Dexter trying to charm Ashlynn Ella and failing miserably. However, Hunter seemed to have no trouble charming Cerise Hood, though. Was there some cheating scandal hidden in there somewhere?

Possible scandals aside, Alistair was still nervous about flirting with Emerald. She was staring at him with hungry and calculating eyes. Was she about to attempt something? If so, Alistair hoped he could defend himself fast enough without hurting someone in the process. Emerald smirked at his obvious discomfort before leaning in close.

Panicking, Alistair slid his potion knife out of his sleeve and pressed it against her throat. All the girls gasped before clutching their own throats. All the boys looked at Alistair in horror before considering the fact that he gave them all the bad name. Then, the princes just glared at him in an irritated manner.

Emerald looked terrified before gasping for breath. "H-help me, Professor Charming!" Emerald cried, squirming to get away from Alistair's weapon. Sighing, Alistair lowered his knife before slipping it back up his sleeve. "Don't ever get close to me again." He warned before walking out the classroom altogether. All the students exchanged glances before staring at the open door. No one made a motion to close it, but all of them were thinking about what just happened.

**_True Hearts_**

Finally, Ellie was at the end of her rope. Azure was harassing her, but the teacher turned a blind eye. It was so frustrating! Ellie tried to stop Azure, but the daughter of the blue fairy was so persistent. Azure was a professional teaser, so she knew when to stop and when to continue. Unfortunately, Ellie wasn't intimidating enough to get Azure to stop.

After what seemed like forever, Professor Fae finally started the class. "For your first assignment of this term, I would like you partners to team up and stop the pranks for Prank Month. How you address the problem of pranking is up to you. Begin planning... NOW!" Professor Fae commanded, snapping her fingers to start off the challenge. Immediately, Azure used her powers to stop time. "Let's go, teammate!" Azure cried with glee.

Ellie was exasperated by Azure's antics, but Azure had the power to make Ellie's life a living hell. So, the future Myrtle Fairy ran out of the classroom with Azure hot in her heels. When they left the room, time unfroze, leaving behind several confused fairies.

"What do you suggest we do?" Azure asked leaning against the wall. Azure wasn't your average dumb blonde, but she had problems with coming up with sound plans. "Well, I can communicate with plant life, except for daisies. So, we can prevent all botanical pranks unless they involve daisies." Ellie mused, biting her lip. "Well, I think we need to get Ashlynn to help us out. Considering the type of pranksters we're going up against we need someone who can convince animals to not attack anybody." Azure replied, smirking at her companion.

Ellie nodded with determination. Indeed, Azure had made a good point. Kitty controlled cats, Faux had access to turtles, Caleb dealt with caterpillars and Anansi dealt with spiders. That was only the main pranksters, however. Who knew what the others had hidden up their sleeves? "Let's chat with Ashlynn during Study Break. Even princesses need to study, after all!" Ellie told Azure. "There's no guarantee that she'll even be there, though. She likes to go in the woods a lot, probably to meet her secret boyfriend." Azure mused, floating in the air. "Wait a second... Secret boyfriend?" Ellie was surprised, considering Ashlynn was a Royal. "Yes, she's dating Hunter. Not for long, though." Azure replied, smirking at Ellie.

Ellie tried to pry more information out of Azure, but she had fallen silent and refused to talk about the matter. Instead, they chatted about stopping the pranks for the rest of the period. After the bell rang, Ellie hurried off to Damsel-In-Distressing, Azure following her. No one noticed the invisible girl hunched in the shadows. Kitty grinned before teleporting away. She had gotten all the information she needed to make their prank the best one ever. Faux would be so proud!

**_True Hearts_**

Damsel-In-Distressing wasn't a particularly challenging class. Everyone was forced to take it because it was a mandatory class. The class posed a certain kind of danger to most of the girls because of the dangerous things they went through. Considering the girl-boy ratio, some girls were classified at princes and were paired together. In fact, two boys had been paired together because they were late and everyone else was already paired up.

Lizzie Hearts rubbed her eyes as she waited for the class to begin. At the very least, she was paired with Daring, her secret crush. It was nice to have a good excuse to be in Daring's arms, considering what Lizzie had to go through in the class. Last year, she had nearly drowned, been buried alive, nearly burned to death and got electrocuted all in one term. That didn't account for the other three terms from last year or the first term of this year.

Raven was paired with Dexter Charming, which was a surprise. You would expect him to be paired with Ashlynn Ella or C.A. Cupid, not some villainess. Then again, lots of strange things happened in this class. She just hated being a damsel! Couldn't girls save themselves?

Maddie had been paired with Alistair, so she loved the class. The constant danger was exhilarating, plus she always had the chance to save him when the situation called for it. Maddie also liked the time before class, because she could chat with Alistair without getting strange looks directed at her.

Blondie had been paired with Cupid, a startling change from last year. Luckily, Blondie was deemed the princess, but it was so difficult to be recused! Plus, villains always teased her afterwards. Still, she would get the last laugh. Oh, yes! She would...

Finally, everyone arrived, including the teacher. Professor Maid Marian was the teacher and she was very _eccentric_. However, she _was_ the best qualified person for the job. So, she was hired on the spot!

The professor examined everyone's faces before she started the class. "Hallo, class! Let's begin, shall we? Lizzie, we're doing the Captured Stimulation today. Daring, you're the prince. Alistair? Villain! Creature? Jabberwocky! Begin!" She cried with a clap of her hands.

Professor Poppa Bear walked into the class, pulling a long silver chain. Attached to the chain was a beast of nightmarish proportions. It was a Jabberwocky. The foul beast had serrated claws with toxins underneath for lethal scratches. It had enormous fangs for slicing and dicing. It had huge yellow eyes for focusing on it's prey. It's ears were good for hearing, it's enormous maw for eating and it had wings.

Lizzie gaped at the thing before voicing her opinion. "That's _not_ a stimulation." She hissed before facing Professor Marian. "Daring can't kill that _thing_! He doesn't own the Vorpal Blade! No one knows where it is! This is _suicide_!" Lizzie shrieked, cards swirling around her at a frenzied pace. Everyone nodded around her with agreement, even Apple and her crew.

Maddie sniffed the air before nodding again. "That's an alpha." She informed the teacher, frowning deeply. "Alphas are the worst of the worst and they're the hardest to slay. This _is_ suicide..." Maddie trailed off.

Apple then lost all common sense. "You just had to steal everything!" She shrieked, advancing towards Lizzie in a menacing fashion. "You had to steal my boyfriend, my popularity and you just had to steal my friends, too! Plus, you just _have_ to have the most protective beast watch over you! You little thief!" Apple cried before moving to punch Lizzie.

Just then, the Jabberwocky went crazy. Pulling against the chain, the beast managed to snap the chain before barreling towards Lizzie. Apple jumped out of the way, but Lizzie was paralyzed with fear. The Jabberwocky howled before turning swiftly and efficiently guarding the future Queen of Wonderland. When Daring tried to get closer to Lizzie, the beast shrieked with fury before spraying poison spit at him. Luckily, the prince managed to roll out of the way before the acid splashed on him.

Lizzie snapped out of her trance, so she tried to sneak past the beast guarding her. It turned it's massive head toward her and howled with rage at her. It's eyes communicated a hidden message: Take one more step and I'll be forced to take desperate measures.

Frowning, she retreated behind the creature, but accidentally revealed her scepter in the process. The Jabberwocky howled before twisting toward Lizzie. She screamed as the creature's jaws snapped an inch from her arm. "Help!" Lizzie screamed, her cards swirling around her. Maddie sprang into action, pulling away from Alistair's grasp.

The mad hatter flung her sharpest saucers towards the great beast, but the creature just sliced them in half with it's fearsome claws. Screeching with rage, the beast grabbed Maddie in his claws before flinging her roughly into a tree. The tree broke in two, leaving Maddie slumped in the rubble. "MADDIE!" All of her friends and allies screamed because of the long gashes visible through the tears in her clothes. She was bleeding, but she also had dark poison coating the wounds. That was troublesome, considering the toxins in a Jabberwocky.

Cookie and Alistair ran toward the fallen girl, trying to save her before it was too late. Ivory was furious, so she made a earthen prison surrounding the monster that dared to hurt Maddie. Still, it was only temporary as Ivory's powers were unstable and the Jabberwocky was an alpha, after all.

Lizzie wanted to go help Maddie, but she was still confused over the latest events. Why did the Jabberwocky get all worked up over her scepter? A Jabberwocky was only enraged by... Of course! Lizzie still remembered a conversation with her mom over the Vorpal Blade.

She had asked where it was and the Red Queen told her it was with the person someone would least expect. Plus, it was enchanted to look like a regular item. Was it possible that the legendary sword was her scepter? If so, Alistair needed to have the scepter right away.

Breaking into a run, Lizzie sprinted toward Edel Weiss, daughter of the Snow Queen. The icy villainess was the best person to get it to Viviane Curse. Viviane could break curses, so she was the best person to break the enchantment on her scepter. "Hurry! Get this to Viviane, _pronto_! I have reason to believe that this is the Vorpal Blade!" Lizzie cried, eyes wide with terror. Edel looked shocked, but quickly sprang into action... just as the Jabberwocky broke out of his prison.

Snarling with fury, his yellow eyes zeroed in on Edel. His pupils dilated as he advanced, tearing up the earth with his claws. "Run!" Lizzie screamed before she was thrown aside by the Jabberwocky. Yelling with fright, Lizzie was luckily caught by Daring before she was killed by a rough impact into a stone wall.

Edel instantly made the ground icy around her, thus throwing off the creature's balance. Still, the Jabberwocky regained balance and skated toward her. Edel smirked before skating towards the other direction where Faybelle and Raven were primed for action.

When the monster was in range, the two villainous girls let loose their dark magic. It was a shame that a Jabberwocky's hide was virtually indestructible. The curses rebounded on their owners, leaving the girls frozen from their freezing spells.

Edel was calmer now because she had a better surface to work with. Swirling on the ice, she weaved around the beast before tossing the scepter to Eira Maiden, daughter of the Ice-Maiden. Eira was also good at skating, so she skated circles around the monster chasing her.

The Jabberwocky was tired of all the teasing. He just wanted to snap the sparkly stick and continue guarding his ward! Was that too much to ask? Irritated the monster snapped his teeth near the two annoying cold ones. He was going to eat the two legs before destroying the sparkly stick. One of the cold ones skidded away, so he ignored that one. He began to chase after the one that froze the ground.

Eira screamed as she skidded away from Edel. Spinning out of control, Eira was luckily caught by Skullivan Koschei, son of Koschei the Deathless. "Thanks, Skully!" She gushed, granting him a grateful smile. "No problem, Eira Dee!" Skully sang aloud before spinning her back into the arena, so to speak.

Edel had been cornered in that short amount of time, but she still had a few tricks up her sleeve. Blasting the beast with icy magic, Edel began to realize that her time was running out. The monster was advancing no matter what she did. At that moment, Edel knew she was going to die. Fear made her choke as Edel realized that she never had time to say goodbye to all her friends and family. Her mother would be so sad...

Edel didn't realize that her power was making something in front of her, but everyone else realized. Even Maddie knew what the beast was, since she could hear the Narrator. The ice golem in front of Edel was a verifiable behemoth of ice. Lizzie had escaped from Daring's grasp, so she ran towards the Jabberwocky. She knew a horrible fight was about to take place.

The Jabberwocky roared at the golem before it. Then, he spat a stream of poison at the giant. The ice golem roared before swinging a massive club at the Jabberwocky's head. It connected with a smash, but the beast was unaffected. This puzzled the golem, which was a big mistake.

Snap! The Jabberwocky's fearsome jaws closed around the golem's arm before snapping it in two. The giant howled with pain, but Edel darted in and touched the golem. Her touch healed it, allowing it to regrow it's arm. Lizzie scowled at the display before touching her own guardian. The Jabberwocky was also healed, leaving no blemishes that had been there before.

While the particular war raged on, Eira was still skating. However, the tremors from the fearsome battle threw off her balance, making it hard to get the scepter to Viviane. Scowling, Eira put in more effort, skating towards Herry Misfit. Herry smirked at Eira before taking the scepter and skating away. "Hey, Angelique! Drop me a beat!" He shouted, skidding toward her.

Angelique nodded before heading unto the ice and locking arms with him. Together, they skated toward Viviane. Viviane seemed to understand what they were trying to do and opened her arms so she could catch the scepter.

Suddenly, a screech resounded above them and claws closed around Angelique's shoulders. Herry had passed the baton to her, so to speak. So, the Jabberwocky attacked her with a vengeance. She screamed before crying out, "I'M FLYING!" Everyone laughed before remembering the situation at hand.

The ice golem had lost to the Jabberwocky, so a bright flash blinded everyone. The ice golem had become an elaborate tattoo on Edel's right arm. Ignoring it for the moment, Edel and Lizzie skated after the alpha, trying to catch Angelique before it was too late.

Angelique was terrified as the claws were about to puncture her cloak. Struggling was impossible and Angie knew she was about to die. Unless...

She began to squirm before she screamed. She made her scream as loud and annoying as possible. The beast was enraged, so it dropped her without a second thought. Plummeting toward the ground, Angie closed her eyes. She didn't want to see the end of her life.

Luckily, Viviane was always paying attention. She blasted Angelique with magic that froze her in mid-air. Then, Viviane manipulated the spell and brought Angie closer to her. Angelique had been saved, but the ride wasn't over yet. Viviane struggled to break the enchantment, but she wasn't powerful enough. She recognized the magical signature, though. It was hard _not_ to! Her very own mother had enchanted the scepter, so Viviane couldn't break the spell because of her mother's power levels.

"I'm sorry, Lizzie!" She cried before flinging the scepter toward the princess of hearts. Lizzie lunged toward the sparkly stick just as the Jabberwocky thrust a claw towards the secret weapon. Lizzie grabbed the scepter just as she felt a sharp pain deep in her chest. Looking down, Lizzie spotted a huge claw piercing her insides. "Oh." She said in an uncaring way as she peered at the claw leaving her chest. Then, Lizzie swayed before collapsing on the grass, clutching the scepter that had brought her such grief.

The Jabberwocky looked stricken, howling with sorrow before a greasy tear rolled out of it's eye. The tear landed on Lizzie's chest, glowing as it burrowed into her flesh. She woke up with a gasp, clutching the area where she had been stabbed. She shuddered as the tear did it's magic before leaving out the other side. Her chest wound only had a nasty scar to remind her of her ordeal. The Jabberwocky then bounded over to Maddie.

Maddie was in a dreadful state, bleeding out on the green grass and staining it crimson. She looked peaceful, if not for her purple face from the poison. The Jabberwocky bit her arm before sucking out the toxins left in her body. Narrowly, she had survived, but she still needed medical attention.

Finally, the beast lunged at Lizzie. She shrieked before throwing up her arms in a futile attempt to save herself. She felt a burning heat on her arm before she finally opened her eyes. An elaborate tattoo was displayed on her arm. It was a snarling Jabberwocky in attack mode, ready to pounce on unwary prey. She faintly smiled before pulling her sleeve to cover her mark.

Professor Marian was furious. Daring hadn't saved Lizzie from the monster, so he had failed. Lizzie failed too because she had saved herself with help from other people. Maddie had failed for getting hurt, Cookie and Alistair failed for trying to help her and Edel failed for being Edel. Oh, Eira, Skully, Herry and Angelique failed too for assisting Lizzie. Raven and Faybelle would have failed, but Professor Marian knew they were just trying to save their own sorry hides.

"You all failed miserably! What was that? It was a blunder of massive proportions, that's what!" Professor Marian exclaimed, marching toward Lizzie's prone form. Lizzie bristled from the teacher's accusations before she advanced toward the professor. Slap! Lizzie smacked Professor Marian across the face. "Shows what you know! I'll have you sacked! You don't even care that Maddie is going to die unless we help her! You only care about this delusional class!" Lizzie screamed in her face before driving her fist into Maid Marian's stomach.

Lizzie Hearts stomped away, leaving the class and the delusional teacher behind. Alistair grabbed Maddie before running after her. All the other students followed suit, following her out the room. Professor Poppa Bear ran after them, determined to gain control over the situation.

**_True Hearts_**

For the most part, he succeeded. All classes were cancelled because of the dangerous creatures roaming the halls. (Professor Poppa Bear lost control of all the beasts except for the Jabberwocky, which was a blessing and a curse in it's own right.) All of the students were escorted to their dorm rooms, some being attacked by a beast along the way. All of the attacked bore a elaborate tattoo of the beast that attacked them, leaving no trace that the beast had been there at all.

Professor Poppa Bear revealed the origin of all the beasts. He revealed that the beasts were familiars, guardian creatures that protected their master or mistress. He had managed to capture all of the student's familiars, but had lost control that fateful morning. To remain close to their owner at all times, the beast took the form of a moving tattoo that could appear anywhere on the owner's body. However, it would always be on their right arm when needed.

To unleash the beast, they were told to touch the tattoo when they needed the beast. If you didn't need the beast, touching the tattoo didn't do anything but open a mental link between owner and beast.

After that lesson, the students were ushered to their rooms, stating that the beasts couldn't find them in their rooms. Duchess was pestering Lizzie about her beast, asking to see it or see the tattoo. Lizzie refused because she didn't want to be gawked at like a circus attraction.

Deciding to take a nice, long shower, Lizzie washed away all the gunk that had collected over the day. The Jabberwocky was now residing over the area where her Fake Heart was located, seeing as her True Heart was locked up in a dusty old gym. He was in passive mode, sleeping his troubles away. Lizzie smiled before tracing the tattoo gently. She could feel the buzz of the mind link, but the other side was locked down.

Lizzie decided to try again later. She dried off with the softest of towels before getting dressed in her nightgown. She might as well, considering the time. Duchess was dancing when Lizzie returned, but she quickly stopped and began the asking of the annoying questions again. Lizzie sighed, wishing for Duchess to shut up. Unfortunately, no genie was about to grant her wish... Yet, anyway.

**_True Hearts_**

Maddie had been narrowly saved by blood replenishing potions and surgery to close the wounds. She was sleeping peacefully, so the nurse left her alone for a second to attend to some paperwork. That was a big mistake, as a beast managed to get inside the infirmary while the nurse wasn't looking.

The huge monster loomed over Maddie's prone form before opening his giant maw. A whole mouth of nothingness was above Maddie. She woke up with a start, noticing the creature above her. Her screams alerted Nurse Matches to the danger. Nurse Matches ran to find out the matter and spotted the figure over Maddie's bed.**  
**

Startled, she lit a match to see what was happening. The beast turned around and Nurse Matches was greeted to a sight of nightmarish proportions. "DEMENTOR!" She screamed before lobbing a fireball at the wraith-like soul sucker. The thing actually absorbed the blast before descending into Maddie's screaming body. Maddie and Nurse Matches saw the tattoo, but they couldn't understand exactly what had happened.

"Please, help me." Maddie whispered, fear clouding her eyes. "I will, dear. I promise." Nurse Matches told the hatter smoothly before stroking her mercurial hair. For the rest of the night, they sat in silence, only seeing by the light of the moon.

**AN: Well, that's it, guys! Sorry if you hated it, but that's ok! Things will get better, soon! I promise... Thanks to all my friends who made this possible. Also, thanks to Mattel for having this hexcellent idea and for allowing us to write fanfiction about their hexquiste characters. **

**Also, Daring/Lizzie is now canon! That's the best news forever after! Do you guys like Daring/Lizzie too? If so, PM me and review. If not, PM me and review! I like PMs and reviews, if case you couldn't tell... **

**The familiars will be addressed. Relationships are about to unfold. Surprises are just around the bend, so be patient. **

**Again, the OCs I mentioned last chapter belong to the people I mentioned last chapter. Madame Zashley, TooMuchSarcasm, MysticalMosiac, Queen Elsa Neve and MaiForgotten Memory have lent me OC characters that I will write about more in the coming chapters. Also, my own characters will happen as well.**

**THANKS FOR READING AND PLEASE REVIEW AND PM ME! THANKS A BUNCH, FAITHFUL READERS! WATCH EVER AFTER HIGH! **


End file.
